


becoming the main character

by okoyee



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, Mild Gore, eren is slightly insane, idk man, theres a bunch of grown men in dresses murdering people
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-10
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-25 20:00:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6208141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okoyee/pseuds/okoyee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren becomes a magical girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	becoming the main character

 

 

 

 

 

Blood is always an absolute bitch to wash off.

Bitterly he wipes the palms of his hands over the fluffy white part on the bottom of his dress, wondering how much his dry cleaning is going to cost this month, and you'd think whatever magical land his outfit is summoned from they would be capable of washing out blood out of his outfit. He learned the hard way—such as him summoning up a dress covered in blood and guts on national TV (Erwin bitched for _weeks_ )—it isn't good rep, people don't like a 'super hero' that's always covered in blood. Which in Levi's opinion is more ironic than anything considering he carries two _giant fucking swords and a giant staff_ and his super power is _Grim Reaping_.

"Levi!' A random shrill voice screeches, and he half-turns, eyes squinting at the splatter of blood on his right shoulder before turning to look at the flashing paparazzi, offering them a flat smile. "Do you find that you kill more than you save? Doesn't that make you like the criminals you catch— _?!_ "

"You only murder isn't that correct?"

Another flash.

"Do you think your actions are righteous?!"

Another flash.

"I've said it before," Levi says in a long sigh, "I am a bringer of Death. I judge those that are evil and judge them of their sins, I'm not a _hero_ ," he spits a bit more bitterly, the word always brings a sour taste to his mouth. His gold chains begin to rattle, his staff of judgement weighing down onto one side, the loud creaking sound filling the air as his silver eyes flash to gold as they land on the red-headed woman holding out a microphone.

" _I_ —" she begins.

"It is telling me that your sins outweigh your life." His voice is monotonous, idly he picks off a piece of lint off of his arm, her lips are shaking, steps falling backwards. He should have never left Headquarters this morning, but they were lament that the 'Grim Reaper' does some nice Sunday morning executions. he tugs at the ribbon on his hip, "But you're not on my list, so scram."

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Great job today!" Hanji joyfully recites the moment Levi's treads into headquarters, his already crimson dress splattered in the blood of those he had "judged". It's all a bunch of bullshit to him, but he doesn't necessarily _care_ , either. It isn't his job to care. His job is to receive confessions (mostly so he knows _why_ he's killing somebody), cut them up; and then seal their soul in his staff before smacking it down to Hell—or, well, the void—before heading home and taking a big shit and bubble bath. Levi's eyes land on a bunch of fresh faces, Erwin locking up and offering a sharp smile.

"These are new recruits," Erwin waves vaguely to the pile of brats before ushering them forward like cattle. "This is Corporal Levi, Mad Scientist and I'm Captain America."

Levi actually snorts under his breath, Erwin's nickname being 'Captain America' always amuses him mostly because Captain America is running around in a red, white and blue _dress_ , preaching about world peace. He's pretty sure the original wasn't that intent on wearing skirts and having frills underneath said skirt.

"Tell me your powers brats, I need to know which of you freaks to stay away from." Mostly because he needs to know which ones he'll be planning funeral services for right away. Barely anybody survives in this line of business, and a bunch of starry-eyed brats like the ones currently in front of him won't last a whole month. Plus, some powers are just plain _creepy_ , he needs to make a list of people to definitely avoid.

The one at the first of the line salutes like a soldier, and Levi is impressed for a whole 0.2 seconds before the brat opens his mouth. "Regeneration, sir!"

Levi gurgles, " _Gross_. Another fucking lizard man."

"Levi," Erwin warns lightly, nodding to the Asian woman beside the regeneration-boy.

"Mikasa Ackerman. Fire manipulation."

"Armin Arlet, psychometry—"

Levi's head snaps directly in his direction, eyes narrowing. " _You,_ Armin Arlet will stay ten fucking feet away from me at all times." He doesn't need some mind-reading object-reading brat to be touching him and seeing all his dirty secrets. The blond boy looks slightly disturbed by the reaction, but agree's never the less, and Levi's eyes roam over the rest of them standing in front of him. "Anybody else with creepy fucking powers?"

"I can do mind control," a freckled brunette says, smugly. "Would you like me to try it?"

"Mind control me and I'll reap your soul straight to hell." Levi pauses, remembering how Erwin had warned him to remind the new cadates about his _peculiar_ powers so none of them end up accidentally killed. "I'm a Reaper," he makes a light jingle out of his golden staff, watching how the demon and the angel remain perfectly aligned. Though he knows better, within two weeks his scale will be dipping for each of those standing in front of him for all the murder they'll have to commit in the name of 'Heroism'. "When this staff tilts more to the side of the demon, I'll kill you."

"Levi's power is to judge the evil and the good," Erwin clips in more diplomatically. "If the staff finds you more evil than good it's his job to take your soul to Hell. So as long as you keep your hands clean you shouldn't have to worry too much about that."

Levi grunts, shooting Erwin a dirty side-eye. "So stay the fuck away from me."

"Because in two weeks half of us will be corrupted?" A small voice asks, and Levi's body goes stiff. _A fucking mind reader, what a fucking pain_. Except his bracelets jingle, the tone echoing like a haunting melody as his staff creaks, the demon slowly dropping lower. His eyes snap to the tiny blonde girl standing idly beside the mind-controller, and with a sharp _snap_ of his fingers his dress disappears, his earlier normal people-outfit wrapping around his body quickly, his bloody dress going off into whatever dimension it comes out of. That doesn't have dry-cleaning.

"You stay the fuck away from me too," he says pointedly, eyes sharply narrowing. _Or else you'll be going straight to Hell_.

She smiles daintily, as though an angel and the whole thing just _disturbs_ him. It's always the innocent looking people that're the most fucking corrupt, it's disturbing. Tricky. _Wrong_. He turns on his heel abruptly, making way to go to his room and stay there stubbornly until dinner time where he'll do his best to avoid conversation with a bunch of new-comers. Usually the whole ' _reaping_ ' thing is enough to disturb people enough into not talking to him, but there's always a weirdo in the bunch. One that'll try talking to him, such as Petra and Auruo are like now.

Exactly like what fucking Eren Yeager is doing right now.

"I was really surprised when I suddenly summoned up a magical girl outfit, I thought I would be left behind by Mikasa and Armin—" Eren blabbers. Constantly. It's a constant stream of words that keep pouring from his mouth every moment of the day. This is the third day, and Levi doesn't understand why Eren is sticking to him like a sort of lost puppy-dog, but Levi just ignores him in hopes that he'll eventually be turned off and go bark at somebody else.

"Also do you know how to clean blood stains—?"

Levi looks towards the posters of past magical girls that died in attempts to save the world, Levi blinks, world humming in a sort of blankness.

"—I wonder where they come from—"

"I'm hungry—"

Levi turns on him abruptly, face pulled into a pained expression. "Why are you here? You're getting on my fucking nerves brat."

Eren doesn't look disturbed by his tone of voice, instead takes to bashful twirling of his fingers.

"I'm a bit weird," Eren says, his voice dropping to that slightly above a whisper, the world chatters on around them, everybody happily digging into their food, posters of happy men and women dressed up in colourful dresses, colourful slogans above their heads ' _WILL YOU HELP SAVE THE WORLD_?' and Levi never believed those bullshit lies. His power was never a blessing to the world, all he's done is kill and kill and kill, all in the name of justice. But that's just it, he was the one that summoned up this power. He had seen injustice and felt so strongly he wanted to _become_ justice. This is his punishment. His atonement. Eren's big green eyes focus on him, and Levi feels winded. "I'm the opposite of you."

"Shut up and eat, brat."

Eren smiles, teeth a pearly white as he looks off to the largest poster of them all.

Levi hates that one the most.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I'm putting you in charge of Mikasa Ackerman, Crimson Knight and Eren Yeager." Levi doesn't bother to pick apart why Mikasa Ackerman already has a cameo name, and Eren does not. Regeneration doesn't last long in this field, sure they can regrow their arms and legs when they get cut off, but a head? A heart? There are some things that can't be regrown again. A part of Levi feels distant, cold at the thought. In a way he's fond of Eren, he's stupid and loud, he makes people angry and is always screaming. A part of him doesn't want Eren Yeager to die, but he can't change anything, he can't simply choose who lives and who dies. He only chooses who dies.

Erwin's eyes set on him, heavy and knowing.

"What's our job today?" Levi leads the conversation away from potential touchy-feely talks. Erwin, discreet as always, hands over the closed file to Levi, nodding his head in a sharp fashion, before marching off. His golden staff jingles a bit, the demon smiling at Levi as though it has secrets he'll never be able to find out, teeth snapping in Erwin's direction like a hungry dog. He flips open the file, heart sinking. Of _course_ , Erwin, the fucking sadistic bastard would make newbies go into a _drug den_ of all things. He's trying to weed the weak ones out early, Levi tosses the file into the trash, eyes landing on Historia and Ymir leaned against the wall in the corridor, speaking in low voices.

The demon on his staff hisses in delight.

Historia looks at him directly, smiling lightly as he turns away from her.

Everything is tiring.

He snaps his fingers, his powers dispersing into thin air.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eren and Mikasa are both wild.

Mikasa fights with no regard to her safety, palms out-stretched upwards as she snaps her fingers fire surrounding her like an erupted volcano. Levi wants to yell at her to be more discreet, to take better care of her safety or else she'll get shot. Eren doesn't seem to care much for his safety, either, crouched forward as guns shoot at him without mercy, and Levi's heart sinks.

He hates unnecessary deaths, both of them could live this if they'd just _listen_ to him—but Mikasa charges forward, flames blazing the entire building to the ground, Eren roaring loudly into the air as he swings his fist, pure white dress splattered in blood—and then it happens. Mikasa get's shot straight through the forehead, and Levi expects more angry hollering from Eren, for him to cry and crouch to her side and sob uncontrollably, except he clicks his tongue in an annoyed _tch_ before his eyes turn to a gold colour, suddenly everybody is stopping, bowing to the ground before Eren.

Levi inhales, Eren stops before Mikasa, crouching down to her dead body as he touches her forehead with his index finger.

Suddenly her eyes open.

In the dining hall, the biggest poster in an old magical girl. _Goddess of Life;_ a hero among heroes. She wore a long white dress, gold earrings and necklaces adorning her body, her hair a long light blonde that dragged on the ground, and Levi was seven when he saw her for the first time. She could bring back the dead, she'd touch those she wanted to be alive and _pop_! just like that they'd be sitting up again. Levi had hated her. At seven he had awoken to his powers, his staff leaning to the side of the demon before his mother and father and just like that, _pop_! they were dead. He had bowed to her, forehead touching the ground as he sobbed, asking her to save them, that it was a mistake. They were opposites, she had said, ' _I bring upon life, and you control death._ ' She had paused, looking down at him with a sad look, ' _Your powers are more absolute than mine, I can not bring back those you reap, but you can reap those I save_.'

Now her face is a reminder: everyday he walks into that dinning hall and remembers every moment, those praising her, crying and worshiping her as everybody ducked away from him in fear, whispering in low whispers that ' _The Reaper will come for your soul_ ' as though he takes the life of all he passes. People still mourn her, crying at her graveside, flowers placed at her grave every Sunday morning because no one can forgive a Reaper that takes away their Light.

Levi almost feels winded, "You lied."

Eren's eyes remain gold, face crinkling up in confusion just as all the drug dealers behind Eren bring their guns to their heads and shoot themselves. A sea of blood rains down, bodies pooling into puddles of crimson, Levi wants to step back, feel disgusted or awed.

_Goddess of Life, oh Goddess of Life cannot take a life_.

Eren smiles, head tilted to the side almost just barely, it gives the illusion of innocence. Levi's staff doesn't make a sound. "I'm not the same as the Goddess of Life," Eren says, as though reading his mind, "I _control_ life, not bring it."

Levi exhales.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What citizens were never informed is that the Goddess of Life could only give temporary relief to death. Her powers were not absolute. She was not a fighter, or a savior. She couldn't heal scrapes and cuts, she couldn't revive the dead forever, her only use to the Hero HQ was as a public figure. To bring about serenity amongst the people's unease of a bunch of magical people in dresses killing bad guys: that was all there was to it. Citizens would chant for her, _Goddess of Life, oh Goddess of Life cannot take a life_ as she passed, hands clasped to mimic a prayer, begging for her protection from evil.

Levi was her shadow. When he turned 12, tiny hands and tiny body, adorned in all black and gold, he was her shadow. He'd walk behind her, staff heavy and tall and all would mutter their prayers more heavily. Sometimes they'd even cry when they saw Levi. _Bringer of Death, oh Bringer of Death please don't be on my doorstep_. She would always say that all life is created equal, that there will always be a darkness to a light. This was how she soothed Levi. But Levi never felt like they were _equal_ : they never were. He could control death, he was unable to die. She was not immortal. Her powers were temporary, people that were brought back to life would die once again, they would rot into the Earth no matter how many times she tried to save them.

And like everybody else, Levi could judge her.

She was not exempt from his powers. She was the one that told him this.

Levi stands absolutely still, Eren playing idly with the edges of a book from Levi's bookshelf, trying to keep busy as Levi wills his staff to give him a judgement. It does not. The demon tells him ' _the dead the dead they have no soul_!' and the angel sings a gentle hymn to soothe it's carrier. He should've have seen this coming earlier, if he is exempt from his powers eventually somebody, the light to his darkness, would have to be born. All things are born with an opposite. Everything has an equal. It's been five days since he last saw Eren revive Mikasa, and Levi was slightly convinced that eventually Mikasa would rot back into the Earth like all of those that were revived by the Goddess of Life, except Mikasa is still breathing, her skin isn't peeling and she's completely brought back from the dead.

Finally, Eren puts down the book. "I'm not the same as the Goddess of Life," Eren repeats, and stands up, body wrapped up in a bright light before he's standing before Levi in a pure white dress, he hesitates, before slowly opening up his palms, arms out-stretched as a staff appears before him. The staff is the same height and density as Levi's, the same demon and angel hanging on each side, except there isn't a scale between them. Finally, Levi understands. Eren's staff isn't _judgement_ , his staff is _life_. Eren looks to his chime, look slightly hardened. "They always tell me that the Goddess of Life was a fake."

"A fake?"

"Her feelings weren't strong enough," Eren corrects, "She didn't truly believe at her very core that people should be brought to life. So she was not granted the full powers. It's like you, if you didn't truly believe people should be judged, your staff wouldn't let you carry it. That's why she never had the staff, that's why her powers were incomplete."

"Because her feelings weren't strong enough?" Levi asks, slowly, his eyes narrow and his staff jingles, the demon giggling with happiness as it whispers into his thoughts ' _that's why she could be killed by you_!' and Eren tilts his head, light brown stands tickling his shoulders just barely. "She was a temporary replacement."

"She died when I was born," Eren says, smile serene, Levi feels disgusted, "She was only there as temporary opposite to your powers, a way of temporarily keeping the balance until I was born."

"And so, are you the new Goddess of Life?"

Eren's shoulders roll back at that, head shaking. "No, I'm not some sacred angel that brings life to everyone. If I did that no one would ever die."

" _Oh_?" Levi finally allows himself to ease back into his normal clothes, dress disappearing off into whatever dimension it comes from, staff flashing into disappearance, Eren doesn't follow, merely watching the odd act of trust with hesitance. "So what's your duty. I'd think if my job is to kill evil then your job would to be to protect good, but what the fuck would I know?"

"Not much, apparently." Eren grumbles under his breath, and Levi's teeth set at that.

"Want me to beat you to a pulp?"

Eren gulps, diverting his eyes. "It's okay. Our staffs are connected, I know you never talk to them. My job isn't to judge people though," Eren says this more awkwardly, shaking his staff a bit as though to prove his point, "My job is to guide you, I read memories and personalities more easily than you, so when you kill somebody your not supposed to it's my job to bring them back. I kind of like, I don't know, am supposed to fix your mistakes? And make sure you kill the right people."

Levi's throat constricts, suddenly he feels so tired.

_Fucking great_ , he thinks to himself, pressing the palm of his hand against his mouth, _now I got somebody looking over my shoulder. Fucking great._

"Do you even need that?" Levi bites back, remembering the sea of blood that had rained behind Eren—all through Eren's command—Eren isn't the Goddess of Life, he has seen Eren take the lives of people so simply. So easily. "You killed those asshats yourself."

Eren's lips thin at this, picking idly at the skin on his thumb as an act of nervousness. "It's a separate power. I have two. You have two as well, I just don't think you know your second one yet considering that your first one seems to be powerful enough for you."

"Is that so."

"I'm only telling you this because our destiny is about to be put into motion, and you'll need your second power," Eren huffs out with finality, a blinding light surrounding him before his dress fades away into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Levi blinks, slightly taken back by that particular declaration.

"Destiny?"

"Destiny."

 

 

 


End file.
